Reflections: Women in Payments 2023 Symposium

The theme for this year's Symposium was "Connect, Create, Be Curious" and the agenda featured a great blend of payment and career content which meant we left the conference not only with insights on payment trends but also with wisdom and advice we can apply to our own leadership journeys.  

I’ve captured here my personal highlights from the Symposium with the aim of sharing some of the brilliant tidbits of advice with you. 

The three keynotes were simply brilliant. 

At the symposium’s awards dinner, we heard from Lynn Kraus, CEO of Australian Payments Plus, who shared a candid account of her career journey. What a way to set the tone for the rest of the event. She reminded us all to believe in our authentic selves and pursue our careers, fighting any inequalities that might loom along the way. 

The day-2 opening keynote was delivered by Tammy Medard, Managing Director, Institutional Australia & PNG at ANZ. Tammy owned the stage and captivated the audience. Fair to say we were all fan-girling by the end of her stand-out TED-style address. She reminded us that we were all badass executives who deserved to be treated equally in the workplace. 

The closing keynote was from retired paralympian Ellie Cole who shared the inspiring story of her athletic career. My key takeaway was that 'broken crayons still draw' — we need to ensure we celebrate our differences not hide them. 

I had the honour of co-moderating the Great Debate this year with Mon Landes. The debate topic was on multigenerational workplaces and whether it’s possible to create a Goldilocks zone where everything is just right, and all generations thrive together. Or, as those on the negative side argued, that the gap is too wide as the varying demands of each generation are so different that workplaces just can’t cater for all.

Both teams put up a fierce and insightful debate using analogies, quips, quotes and research to strengthen their arguments. While the negative team were crowned winners by the audience, both sides did a brilliant job of making us all consider where the responsibility lies — with the employer or employee.

The key takeaway was that catering to individual wants doesn’t necessarily mean a better outcome. Rather, uniting people with a common purpose and goal is one of the most powerful tools we have to make people thrive.

From a payments perspective we heard from a number of amazing leaders about trends and insights from close to home in Australia and around the globe. 

One consistent theme through many of the payment panels was that real-time, account-to-account payments will continue to make waves across the payment industry as they increasingly become the better way to pay. 

Panellists noted that there are now 70 real-time-payments systems live across the globe, and merchants are prioritising their payments on this infrastructure as they realise the value it can drive for their business.

The expert view in the room was that A2A payments will continue to proliferate in different geographies at pace. 

Last, but not least, I want to shine a light on Zepto people who bravely stepped out of their comfort zones to share their expertise and insights with attendees at the Symposium. One of the purposes of the symposium is to give women the opportunity to address a public forum — to learn new skills and build their personal brand. 

Skye Roberts - Head of Legal & Compliance, co-hosted a workshop on Global Trends in Privacy & Implications for Australia with Anne Petterd, Partner at Baker McKenzie. There was deep engagement in the room for this one as we all discussed how — as an industry — we navigate the increasingly complex world of data and privacy. 

Kim Yan - Customer Relationship Manager, joined the Rising Stars panel and shared career journey insights on what it takes to be a rising star in this industry. Not only did Kim do a brilliant job, she put her hand up and stepped in at the last minute when our original panellist Jaimie Wistaff fell ill. Kim is a stellar example of how being brave and saying yes to opportunities when they come your way is a key way to build your experience. 

I feel incredibly lucky to be a member of the Women in Payments Advisory Board in Australia. We are a group of volunteers who work closely with the Women in Payments team to curate the content and secure the speakers for the Symposium. 

So, finally I would like to thank the Australian Women in Payments team and the Advisory Board – A group of inspiring, supportive and ambitious women who I am lucky enough to work with. 

It would be remiss of me not to share Women in Payment’s CEO Kirsty Duncan’s closing remarks from the Symposium.

Her three pieces of advice were: 

• Be the CEO of your own career and make things happen for you.
• Trust in yourself — you are smart, you are accomplished, you will always sort things out.
• Make your own luck — build your personal brand, have an open and curious mind, and with these things opportunities will come your way. 

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As with any industry event the biggest highlight was the quality time and connections made with like-minded payments people. 

Next year will see Women in Payments host its 10th Symposium in Australia, and I have a feeling it’s going to be even bigger and better than this year — if that’s even possible! 

Congratulations to the Women in Payments team.